Off Brand

A brand brief acts as a filter for decision making. It is a self-imposed set of limitations designed to keep a brand on track, recognizable to those who care about and love it. That's why people are surprised when a brand they know and love acts in a way that's out of kilter. And no where was that more apparent recently than when Airbnb picked a fight with the wrong enemy. This advertising was designed to attack a real problem that Airbnb and its fans care about - but the library, public works and board of education being the recipient of money from the government are clearly not the evil parties to Airbnb's good. While it is vital as a brand team to understand who the enemy is and to be clear about that, forget about advertising evil and communicate how others can join you in doing good!